Rei Serio
Note: Subject of article is also called Persona Persona (Persona ペルソナ?) was known as Rei Serio (Serio Rei 芹尾零?) when he was a child. Persona is a mysterious teacher who wears a mask at all times. He is the moderator of the Dangerous Ability Class. He was voiced by Miki Shinichiro. Appearance Persona is very pale with spiky black hair and cold eyes. He wears a plain white masquerade-like mask. He also wears rings on each of his fingers and an earring which act as an Alice-controlling device. His earring turned out to be broken by Mikan in the Hana Hime Arc. It was fixed, then broken again after his fight with Nobara. He wears a lot of black, which applies to his clothes, nailpolish, high heeled shoes, and lipstick. Without his alice restraints, Persona appears to be rotted. And that appears to be the reason why he was called or known to be a 'monster'. Personality Persona is consumed by hatred and distrust. Persona, as a child, was rather innocent and scared of himself. Due to his parents abandoning him and being locked in a dungeon for the first 14 years of his life, he was timid and hopeful. He was very close with Izumi, who promised him a good future and being part of his and Yuka's family. However, the ESP manipulated him into thinking that Izumi didn't really care about him and that it was Izumi's fault he was locked up and seen as a threat, and accidently killed him with his Alice. Although he quickly regretted what he had done, he quickly became corrupted from the ESP's emotional manipulation. He treats anyone with disdain and believes that if one has a Dangerous Alice, they should accept it, like what he did. His favorite student is Natsume simply because of the worthiness of his Fire Alice, and physically and emotionally abuses him to the point that Persona says the only option for him to escape from capture is suicide. He holds disdain towards Mikan as well because she is Izumi's daughter and that she is as stubborn as he had been. Persona's first sign of guilt for accidentally killing Izumi is when he repeatedly infected Mikan and saw Izumi's spirit behind Mikan, telling him not to dirty his hands any longer. Persona was so overwhelmed by this that he infected himself and kept to himself afterwards. In future chapters, Izumi's death is revealed to be a touchy subject that will easily get him angered because he can't help but feel guilty for it. Persona cares only for the shy Nobara, who is the only one to treat him with kindness. There are strong indications that he may have romantic feelings for Nobara and that she returns those feelings. He became hurt by her betrayal when she chose to help Mikan escape from the ESP, so much so that he infected her and threatened to kill her. However, he clearly doesn't want to harm her because of his devotion to her. When she is hospitalized for her injuries, he is remorseful and realizes that he had done so many awful things. As a result of Nobara's feelings for him and her pleas for him to change, Persona realizes what is truly important to him and resiolves to redem himself of his past deeds. He subsequently teams up with Mikan against the ESP after saving her from being taken by the Fuukitai and asks for her forgiveness, and even takes serious inuries to protect her. Background Persona was abandoned by his parents, because of his alice. He was then taken into the academy and locked in the same room Aoi was in later in the series. Persona was known as a 'monster' and would grab at passerby's through what is thought to be a ventilation hole or small window connecting his prison to the outside world, inflicting them with his alice. A victim who survived was Subaru Imai, because of his healing alice. Only one person visited him and that would be Izumi Yukihira, Mikan's father, because Persona's alice could easily be negated by the nullification alice he had. Persona used the name "Rei Serio" then, the one given to him by Izumi, as his parents never bothered to name him. One day, Izumi introduced him to Yuka, who put Izumi's nullification alice stone in him after learning about his past. This causes some of the marks on his body to fade, making him and Izumi both happy, being a step further in their goal to have him out of the prison. However, the ESP releases Persona (Rei) from his prison and tells him that his alice is great and gives him the idea that Izumi never cared for him and it was his fault that Rei was locked away. When Izumi comes to take Rei away back to his cell, Rei confronts him with the false facts. To his shock, Izumi says that he felt that Rei wasn't ready yet for the outside world. Rei tells him that he does not want to go back and uses his alice on Izumi. Izumi is unable to counter it, due to its immense power with Rei's feelings of betrayal in proportion to its intensity, and starts to get the effects of Rei's alice. This scares Rei and Izumi dies from the power of Rei's alice. Rei regretted it immediately, even crying in shock and disbelief that he had killed Izumi. After a while, during Yuka's escape, he is seen to be treated harshly by the ESP, who had, based on what he said, been locking him in another room. Persona, in the end, suffered a maligned treatment as a 'monster', even though he hadn't intentionally caused harm to others. He and Luna then visits the ESP in the hospital and like Luna chooses to stay by the his side. Over the next several years, the ESP filled his head with twisted facts about the use of Alices and how to treat the students with dangerous Alices, causing Persona to become cruel and corrupted. Persona would later meet a 5-year-old Nobara who he told that she wouldn't touch him or she will become like him. Nobara ignores his warning and touches his hand and exclaims, "It's Warm". In the past she also gave him flowers and with the help of her alice the flowers didn't die when Persona touched them. Nobara saw him shed a tear when the flower did not die. Nobara's kindness formed a soft spot in his heart and she became the only person he ever treated with care and affection. Persona would later join with Narumi and Misaki in an attempt to get Natsume to enroll in the academy. However, unlike Narumi and Misaki's gentle requests, Persona coldly demanded for Natsume and said it was for his best interest. He later planted an Alice stone in the Hyuga residence and after Aoi found it, she fell ill and lost control of her Alice and burned their village. This caused Natsume to be enrolled in the academy and Persona threatened him to do dangerous missions for the academy or else Aoi will suffer even more. Persona pressured Natsume to do dangerous missions and accompanied him. If Natsume disobeyed, Persona physically and emotionally abused him until he learned from his mistake. Story Welcome To Gakuen Alice {C He is first shown looking for Natsume who is hiding from him. He is called The Mask by middle school students bullying Mikan and they call for him to punish Natsume, but it is unsuccessful. Persona next appearance is him being the substitute teacher for Makihara under the ESP's orders, named Serio to figure out why Natsume has changed. When Natsume confronts him, seeing through his disguise, he comments on how he was amazed that Natsume sat quietly during a test, even though their it would do nothing, since Natsume has no home to go to. Persona explains that he was ordered to see the little kitten (Mikan) who changed Natsume's eyes. Natsume aks why they made her his partner and he responds that this wasn't planned to happen, while rotting a flower. Central Town Natsume sees Persona is seen unmasked among a crowd of people with a mischievous grin. This encounter reminds Natsume that he is unable to have friends to care for. Christmas Ball Arc He comes to pick up Nobara who has just become friends with Mikan. Nobara becomes sadden when meeting with him as she is reminded that she is surrounded by a darkness. Persona disguises himself as a woman and on orders by the ESP effects Narumi with his Alice. Hana Hime Arc Later in of the chapters of the manga, Mikan became one of his victims with the use of his alice. He deliberately infected her when she tried to protect Nobara and Aoi from him. He taunts at her for getting herself involved and that her getting infected was an "accident", causing Natsume to get angry. However, when he infects her on elast time, he sees Izumi's spirit behind Mikan and tell him not to get his hands dirty any longer. This makes Persona so shocked that he infects himself and breaks his control earrings. He barricaded himself in his room and noted that the incident was "like parent, like child". Mikan fell seriously ill afterwards and was in a state between life and death. Later on, it was revealed that Hotaru's older brother; Subaru Imai had also been a victim and is the only one to have survived Persona's alice. Therefore, the school administration appoints him to cure Mikan's illness. When Mikan is in the hospital, Sakurano, noticed something in Mikan's hand. It was a strange black colored stone. Slowly, all of a sudden Mikan's wounds started to have disappeared and the color of the stone also changed. Sakurano believes that it is actually Persona's alice. Mikan had another ability to draw out Persona's alice and turn it into a stone. It is revealed that his real name is Rei Serio as revealed by Narumi-sensei. He knew Mikan's father and mother, and became close with them when he was young. But, he refuses to talk about it because of his secret of accidently killing Izumi and not being able to deal with his guilt. Sports Festival Arc Persona approaches Mikan unmasked and has papers that put her under custody for the incident involved her falling during the Cheer Leading Competition. High School Division Arc When Natsume helps Mikan escape from the ESP and Dangerous Ability Class, Persona is angered when Nobara refuses to trap Mikan with her alice and throws his mask at her, hurt that he treated Nobara special than other dangerous ability students, and yet she betrayed him. Persona has decided to capture Nobara and give her a life she will regret. He, Rui and Yakumo are easily able to find Nobara when she freezes the pursuers. He comments on how strong Nobara's alice is, since she shouldn't be able to use her alice so strongly if she isn't hypnotized. As Nobara tells Persona to stop letting people out because he is afraid to be hurt, Persona sees this as pity and is angered. After Nobara freezes both Rui and Yakumo, she and Persona fight one-on-one where she tells him that she will be last person he uses his alice on. As Nobara continues to talk, Persona becomes further irritated and can't take any longer when she speaks about Izumi. This reminder of that painful memory has him use his Mark of Death Alice on her, but surprisingly, Nobara grabs on to his hand and says, "It's warm", like she did when they met. Confused, Persona has a mental breakdown that causes him to also be affected by his own alice and collapse. Nobara then holds him and announces to everyone that she will protect Persona from the ESP. Current Arc As Nobara lays in the hospital, because of him Persona is shown greatly distressted. He realizes that he done terrible things to her and others. He leaves a withered flower by Nobara's hospital room and walks away. The next day, Persona takes the DA class (Rui, Yoichi, Yakumo, Hayate) along to visit Nobara in the hospital. After a short time, Persona annonces that they must leave, but approches Nobara's injured body and places his hand on the glass container. Yoichi sees Nobara's spirit reach for his hand and caress Persona gentely, while crying, meaning she holds no ill will towards him for her illness and wishes to comfort him. He is at the hospital when Mikan escapes and uses her Stealing Alice to save Nobara. Although ordered to help capture Mikan, he goes against orders and decides to help her, in gratitude for saving Nobara. He asks Mikan to let him help her and tells her that he is remorseful of his past actions. With Nobara's words, Mikan finds it in her heart to forgive Persona for the death of her father and the abuse of Natsume and others. Persona offers to help her find the ESP and is willing to sacrifice his life to protect her. Mikan accepts his offer but rejects the idea of sacrificing his life for her, and says that she will protect him because it is what her father would want. When they are attacked by the Fuukitai, he uses his Alice to defeat them and even takes numerous stab wounds to protect Mikan. While fleeing to reach Natsume, Persona, after losing a lot of blood from the stab wounds, tells Mikan to go without him because he is too weak. When Mikan is reluctant at first, he tells her that alhtough he may not be able to keep his promises, he will see her again. After she thanks him and teleports away, he is saved from the Fuukitai by the Dangerous Baility Class students. Relieved, Persona loses conciousness. Alice {C Persona has the mark of death alice that has him leave marks on anyone who touches him. These marks will get worse if the person keeps touching Persona or if the marks continue to spread and worsen as time passes. Only four known people has survived his alic e. The first one is Subaru who healed, because of his heal alice. Next is Mikan who healed when she used her stealing alice to steal Persona's alice in her body. Third is Narumi who got healed when Mikan used her alice to steal away the alice in Narumi's body. Last is Nobara that is saved by Mikan Sakura during the current arc. It is revealed later that he killed Yuki with his alice accidentally. Persona wears alice protectors in the form of rings on each fingers and wears a white masquerade like mask to restrain his alice. Persona also had a earring that kept his alice from making his body look rotted, but was destroyed by Mikan in the Hana Hime Den Arc. If he doesn't protect himself, he could be effected by his own alice. Yuka inserted a Nullification Alice which was Izumi's and it made him look less like the rumored monster from the basement. Gallery Rei Serios's Gallery Notes and Trivia *Persona has so far been spotted without his mask a total of six times. First is when Natsume saw him (although he had sunglasses on) in Central Town in chapter 46. When he disguised himself as a substitute teacher named Serio in one of Natsume's exams. When Mikan knocked off Persona's mask while trying to stop him from hurting Natsume in the Hana Hime Den Arc. When Persona was sent to investigate Mikan's accident in the Sport's Festival and willingly took off his mask in chapter 86. In chapter 97 - when he threw his mask at Nobara angrily when she helped Natsume and Mikan escape. Persona also takes off his mask in chapter 129, asking Nobara why she is using her alice on people. *His name Persona means a character an actor takes in Italian. The meaning of Persona can also be Mask, which possibly refers to the white mask Persona is commonly seen in. *Persona's alice stone color is black. *Izumi's death had give big impact to many people, including Rei Serio. His death had caused him to feel guilty and live in sadness as he accidentally killed Izumi with his Alice. Due to this incident that the ESP manipulated him and he turned into the man that people known as 'Persona'. *Persona and Yōichi Hijiri share the same birthday, April 13th. Category:Character Category:Male Character Category:Alice Category:Mark of Death Alice Category:Teacher Category:Gakuen Alice Staff Category:Nullification Alice